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frontpage Posted by joudo • Nov 25, 2022
frontpage Posted by joudo • Nov 25, 2022

Costco Members: Sur La Table Espresso Coffee Maker w/ Dual Boiler Heating

+ $10 Shipping

$400

Costco Wholesale
144 Comments 110,269 Views
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Costco Wholesale offers their Members: Sur La Table Espresso Coffee Maker w/ Dual Boiler Heating (SLT-4209) for $399.99. Shipping is $10.

Thanks to community member joudo for finding this deal.

Product Features:
  • Dual Boiler Heating System: Brew Espresso & Froth Simultaneously
  • Built-In Burr Grinder With Fineness Settings
  • Single & Double Shot Espresso
  • LED Touchscreen Display
  • 15 Bars Of Pressure For Optimal Extraction

Editor's Notes

Written by RevOne | Staff
  • Ratings & Reviews:
    • Rated 3.8 out of 5 stars based on 13 customer reviews.
  • About this store:
    • Click here to view Costco's return / exchange policy.

Original Post

Written by joudo
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Costco Wholesale offers their Members: Sur La Table Espresso Coffee Maker w/ Dual Boiler Heating (SLT-4209) for $399.99. Shipping is $10.

Thanks to community member joudo for finding this deal.

Product Features:
  • Dual Boiler Heating System: Brew Espresso & Froth Simultaneously
  • Built-In Burr Grinder With Fineness Settings
  • Single & Double Shot Espresso
  • LED Touchscreen Display
  • 15 Bars Of Pressure For Optimal Extraction

Editor's Notes

Written by RevOne | Staff
  • Ratings & Reviews:
    • Rated 3.8 out of 5 stars based on 13 customer reviews.
  • About this store:
    • Click here to view Costco's return / exchange policy.

Original Post

Written by joudo

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Top Comments

I did a bit of digging, and concluded this NOT a dual boiler machine but a dual thermoblock. A true dual-boiler machine would cost much more, and with espresso machines if it's too good to be true it probably is.Shame on Costco/Sur La Table misrepresenting this product.This machine design is similar to the one below, which is a dual thermoblock:
https://www.homecoffeesolutions.c...1a88&_ss=r

Single vs dual thermoblock: https://www.homecoffeesolutions.c...ng-systems

Thermoblock vs thermocoil vs boiler:
https://owlychoice.com/thermobloc...il-boiler/

I found this comment on Reddit regarding comparison of thermoblock vs boiler - the former leads to inconsitent water temperature.

"Thermoblocks are worse for several reasons, all of which involve temperature management:

with a boiler, the brew pathway, including the group, is heated by the passive heat of the boiler, or actively heated in the case of an e61 or electrically heated group. This means that when you pull a shot, the water doesn't lose much heat to its surroundings on the way to the puck. A thermoblock machine never really gets hot, so the brew pathway will suck heat from the brew water in a very non predictable way (i.e. each shot will be affected slightly differently).

a boiler heats up all your brew water before the shot, whereas a thermoblock heats up water on demand. A pid controlled thermoblock will be able to heat water to a temperature which is dependent on the flow rate, because more contact time with the thermoblock means hotter water. Therefore, the brew temperature will be dependent on the flow rate, and hence the puck resistance. You might get away with this if you're always pulling classic 25s shots, but you certainly wont be able to experiment with things like ristretto and lungo as the change in flow will completely mess up your brew temperature.

High end thermoblock machines like the decent are only successful because they are extremely smart, and can dynamically change brew temperature to a very high accuracy using lots of fancy technology. A PID alone on a cheaper thermoblock machine simply wont give you consistent brew temperatures".
I wouldn't bet on quality. It looks very similar to the ones here

https://www.amazon.com/Espresso-M...U241FG3KTV

And I see several other names under that :

https://beem.co.uk/products/espre...der-15-bar

similar design, same grate pattern on the drain pan and tamper
I am in the exact same boat as OP here - spent the last few weeks waiting for a good Breville deal and got nothing.
Also am not willing to settle for anything that has plastic parts touching the hot water (so ruling out almost all of the super-automatic ones).

Was about to pull the trigger for Gaggia classic pro, but not sure which grinder should I get... then I saw this... hmmm really not sure about its quality, but could be a good gap-filler until a good Breville deals comes alone?

Thanks for posting!

144 Comments

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Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 26, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Quote from lbp775 :
The Gaggia + grinder will allow more growth if you decide to dive deeper into the espresso. As suggested, 1Zpresso is a good cheap option depending on how much you intend to make per day. I'm currently using a J-Max myself and it's working out well. Baratza makes good grinders as well.
Thanks for the advice!
But with that said... I think I am definitely a little bit "lazy" in this case... an automatic grinder suits my need better.
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 26, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 26, 2022
46 Posts
Quote :
Quote from shivetya :
I look at it this way, the majority of people will have a difficult time getting good espresso out of a Gaggia Classic Pro, you need to know how to temperature surf to use it to its fullest extent. Its similar to grinders, people will "reddit advice" post to always buy a Niche Zero... which is overkill for most home brewers simply because the grind is the last thing to hold you back. What holds back espresso makers at home is knowing what goes into making good espresso, which is factors like grind, tamping, and such, as compared to what you make it with. You start to spend money once you have outstripped your current gear and I have always been in the camp it is best to have an espresso maker you don't have to play games with far more than a grinder.

The Gaggia and Rancillio are good in the hands of those who know what they are doing but there are better choices for those new to the game.
shivetyaI look at it this way, the majority of people will have a difficult time getting good espresso out of a Gaggia Classic Pro, you need to know how to temperature surf to use it to its fullest extent. Its similar to grinders, people will "reddit advice" post to always buy a Niche Zero... which is overkill for most home brewers simply because the grind is the last thing to hold you back. What holds back espresso makers at home is knowing what goes into making good espresso, which is factors like grind, tamping, and such, as compared to what you make it with. You start to spend money once you have outstripped your current gear and I have always been in the camp it is best to have an espresso maker you don't have to play games with far more than a grinder.

The Gaggia and Rancillio are good in the hands of those who know what they are doing but there are better choices for those new to the game.
Completely agree.
But the problem is I have been hard-pressed to find something that hot water doesn't touch any plastic part of the machine for health reasons... and right now Gaggia classic pro seems to be the only one that suits that specific need without breaking the bank. Even Breville barista express/pro uses rubber tubes to pump hot steams into the steam wand.
Given this specific ask (no hot water touching plastic), do you have any suggestions for an espresso machine that is easy for beginners?
Nov 27, 2022
70 Posts
Joined Nov 2013
Nov 27, 2022
rawrrrrr
Nov 27, 2022
70 Posts
Quote from ACGNerd_US :
Completely agree.
But the problem is I have been hard-pressed to find something that hot water doesn't touch any plastic part of the machine for health reasons... and right now Gaggia classic pro seems to be the only one that suits that specific need without breaking the bank. Even Breville barista express/pro uses rubber tubes to pump hot steams into the steam wand.
Given this specific ask (no hot water touching plastic), do you have any suggestions for an espresso machine that is easy for beginners?
It's an interesting ask, most everything uses plastic tubing. All newer houses use PEX now, pretty much impossible to get away from plastic touching water.
Nov 27, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 27, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 27, 2022
46 Posts
Quote from rawrrrrr :
It's an interesting ask, most everything uses plastic tubing. All newer houses use PEX now, pretty much impossible to get away from plastic touching water.
yeah, that's why it is hard to find anything like Gaggia at lower prices.
The Gaggia classic pro only uses plastic/rubber tubing for cold water, which is okay. If you watch its tear-down video you can see the connection to the steam wands is also fully metal... otherwise, that machine will not be attractive given how complex it is to use it.
Nov 27, 2022
3,009 Posts
Joined Dec 2006
Nov 27, 2022
sshlyk
Nov 27, 2022
3,009 Posts
Quote from rawrrrrr :
There's a machine on alibaba that looks very similar.. same tamper, same grate, same wand, same words on the grinder. This is not a high quality machine.

https://www.itopltd.com/automatic...5020a.html

https://www.itopltd.com/commercia...5020c.html

https://www.alibaba.com/product-d...77502.html
Chinese copied pretty much everything. The question if Costco sells original one.
4
Nov 27, 2022
973 Posts
Joined Sep 2008
Nov 27, 2022
andy123h
Nov 27, 2022
973 Posts
Quote from sshlyk :
Since it is costco, I am going to give it a shot.
I see what you did there…
1
Nov 27, 2022
1,348 Posts
Joined Jul 2016
Nov 27, 2022
AG1802
Nov 27, 2022
1,348 Posts
Quote from sshlyk :
Chinese copied pretty much everything. The question if Costco sells original one.
Most likely the other way around. Some company bought a Chinese brand and rebadged it theirs. Look up Eupa factory on YouTube. This is how Wyze works rebranding Yi and Xiaomi products.

Our Chi Flat Iron broke and I looked up the Chinese company stamped on the electrical cord out of curiosity. They had over a 100 "unbranded" flat irons on their site you could bulk order. The design of the flat iron I had was on their site. So yes most of these smaller brands just buy a Chinese design and stamp their name. Only few companies actually engineer their products here.

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Nov 27, 2022
75 Posts
Joined Aug 2011
Nov 27, 2022
Quaddubs
Nov 27, 2022
75 Posts
Quote from ACGNerd_US :
that's a little bit above my budget lol
Not the same person that replied to you, though I chuckled at his response.

I believe the best budget grinder is the Sette 270... Though the bottom of the rabbit hole is usually the Niche zero.
Nov 27, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 27, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 27, 2022
46 Posts
Quote from Quaddubs :
Not the same person that replied to you, though I chuckled at his response.

I believe the best budget grinder is the Sette 270... Though the bottom of the rabbit hole is usually the Niche zero.
Yeah I was also looking at sette 270. But not sure if I can taste the difference between sette and the mignon...
Nov 27, 2022
3,694 Posts
Joined Jul 2019
Nov 27, 2022
Anonymous
Nov 27, 2022
3,694 Posts
Quote from rawrrrrr :
I wouldn't bet on quality. It looks very similar to the ones here

https://www.amazon.com/Espresso-M...U241FG3KTV

And I see several other names under that :

https://beem.co.uk/products/espre...der-15-bar

similar design, same grate pattern on the drain pan and tamper
I guess more reason to buy from Costco
1
Nov 27, 2022
188 Posts
Joined Jun 2017
Nov 27, 2022
socalkevina
Nov 27, 2022
188 Posts
For anyone looking to get an entry level grinder I would recommend holding out for the Baratza Encore ESP. It's meant specifically for espresso grind (w/ macro and micro adjustments). It hasn't been released yet but should be either end of this year or Q1 23'.

I'm currently using a Gaggia Classic Pro with a modified Baratza Encore. Upgraded burr set from M3 to M2. This is the same burr set in the Baratza Virtuoso. I've been pulling consistent shots for about a year now but I will say you need to enjoy making espresso. If you feel like it isn't a hobby then the process will become tedious and not enjoyable.
Nov 27, 2022
258 Posts
Joined Nov 2009
Nov 27, 2022
gobbgookV
Nov 27, 2022
258 Posts
thanks for the detailed reply and for the helpful pointers. Yes, I meant super automatic. I love the look of the philips lattego but a bit out of budget for me. Smilie


Quote from ACGNerd_US :
Oh yeah, there is a lot more to it if you want to know for sure whether a unit has plastic touching the hot water. One way to know for sure is to watch some tear-down (or cleaning) videos, I found out that all Phillips super-automatic ones, and all DeLonghi super-automatic ones have plastic brewers. Also for the couple jura models I checked, their brewer is also plastic.

BTW when you say "easy effort automatic one" you mean super-automatic machines like Phillips 3200 lattego right?

If you are just looking for a semi-automaic machine like breville barista express, then there are a couple ones that no plastic is touching the hot water. Like Gaggia Classic Pro, Breville barista express (please look at below edit) ... etc. For this type of machines, you mostly want to check the portafilter and where you connects the portafilter to the machine (the steam wands and water boilers are almost always metal).

edit: breville barista express uses rubber/plastic tubes to pump steams into the steam wand... so I guess that also ruled it out as "not plastic touching hot water"
Nov 27, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 27, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 27, 2022
46 Posts
Quote from lbp775 :
The Gaggia + grinder will allow more growth if you decide to dive deeper into the espresso. As suggested, 1Zpresso is a good cheap option depending on how much you intend to make per day. I'm currently using a J-Max myself and it's working out well. Baratza makes good grinders as well.
Hey buddy I eventually went for your suggestion for the grinder - jx pro… the reason being my girlfriend says black (the only color for migno notte) doesn't match the aesthetic of the house…
The Ode grinder is also only available in white and black, so ruling them out also.
And if I went up the tiers for mignon series, a chrome silenzio will cost $579 and that definitely breaks the budget.

So I decide it's time for me to be a little bit less "lazy" now lol🤣

BTW I got the gaggia classic pro as well.
Nov 27, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 27, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 27, 2022
46 Posts
Quote from socalkevina :
For anyone looking to get an entry level grinder I would recommend holding out for the Baratza Encore ESP. It's meant specifically for espresso grind (w/ macro and micro adjustments). It hasn't been released yet but should be either end of this year or Q1 23'.

I'm currently using a Gaggia Classic Pro with a modified Baratza Encore. Upgraded burr set from M3 to M2. This is the same burr set in the Baratza Virtuoso. I've been pulling consistent shots for about a year now but I will say you need to enjoy making espresso. If you feel like it isn't a hobby then the process will become tedious and not enjoyable.
I also got the gaggia classic pro from Amazon and it will be here tomorrow!
Kinda excited right now but not sure how long can I keep this hobby going😅

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Nov 27, 2022
46 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Nov 27, 2022
ACGNerd_US
Nov 27, 2022
46 Posts
BTW a lot of Breville espresso machines are on sale now at Amazon.

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